Securing means for disposer sound jacket

ABSTRACT

The instant invention provides a sound deadening jacket arrangement for enveloping a food waste disposer so as to prevent a large amount of noise generated by the moving parts of the food waste disposer from passage into the area where the disposer is situated. The disposer sound jacket is suspended in loose (sufficient to permit its rotation) depending fashion from the garbage disposer, proper, so as to be spaced from the food waste disposer housing. The loose suspension of the food waste disposer sound jacket limits the amount of noise being transmitted outwardly therefrom as the food waste disposer operates and also permits rotation of the disposer sound jacket during installation of the food waste disposer so that the disposer sound jacket may drivingly move the disposer housing to aid in alignment of the inlet and outlet of the disposer with the plumbing situated underneath the sink where the disposer is mounted.

[ June 19, 1973 SECURING MEANS FOR DISPOSER SOUND JACKET [75] Inventor: Jack E. Bebinger, Columbus, Ohio [73] Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: June 29, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 157,899

Hyde 241/l00.5

Primary ExaminerRobert L. Spruill Attorney-F. H. Henson, E. C. Arenz and R. B. Farley {57 ABSTRACT The instant invention provides a sound deadening jacket arrangement for enveloping a food waste disposer so as to prevent a large amount of noise generated by the moving parts of the food waste disposer from passage into the area where the disposer is situated. The disposer sound jacket is suspended in loose (sufficient to permit its rotation) depending fashion from the garbage disposer, proper, so as to be spaced from the food waste disposer housing. The loose suspension of the food waste disposer sound jacket limits the amount of noise being transmitted outwardly therefrom as the food waste disposer operates and also permits rotation of the disposer sound jacket during installation of the food waste disposer so that the disposer sound jacket may drivingly move the disposer housing to aid in alignment of the inlet and outlet of the disposer with the plumbing situated underneath the sink where the disposer is mounted.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAIENIEB I SBEHIIIZ mammmvsma sum 2 or 2 FIG. 3

FIG. 4

SECURING MEANS FOR DISPOSER SOUND JACKET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a sink-suspended food waste disposer and, more particularly, relates to a disposer jacket which insulates the surrounding area from noise generated within the food waste disposer and also aids in assembly of the food waste disposer to the sink and plumbing with which it is associated.

2. Description of the Prior Art The use of sound-deadening jackets with food waste disposers is old and well known, the same having been utilized nearly since the inception of domestic food waste disposers. These jackets are advantageous because the comminution of food waste, including hard materials such as bones, within the food waste disposer and the high rotational speed of the blades of the disposer generate noise of fairly high decibel level. Thus, the user of a sound deadening jacket, with or without a sound insulating material between the jacket and the food waste disposer housing, was an early advancement in the art of domestic food waste disposers.

These jackets have been mounted in many ways, including jackets that are suspended from sound deadening rubber gasketing material. Examples of such arrangements are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,949,246 issued Aug. 16, 1960, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,965,318 and 2,965,319 issued on Dec. 20, 1960. Since each of these jacket arrangements utilizes a rubber gasketing for the mounting of the sound jacket, a large amount of attenuation occurs between this mounting and the food waste disposer, proper. Thus, the sound jacketing can operate in a very effective manner to prevent the generation of noise outwardly of the food .waste disposer; however, mounting of the disposer jacket in such a manner tends to limit the flexibility of assembly of the food waste disposer to the sink and plumbing with which it is utilized.

Since a food waste disposer must not only be mounted in a water-tight relationship with the sink, but must also be aligned so its inlet and outlet mate with the corresponding plumbing arrangement provided underneath the sink with which the food waste disposer is associated. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a food waste disposer having a sound deadening jacket and mounting arrangement which not only provided for attenuation of noise generated by the food waste disposer, but also aided in mounting of the food waste disposer beneath the sink with which it was to be used in an aligned manner relative to the plumbing available for hook-up to the food waste disposer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a sound deadening jacket disposed around a food waste disposer housing, with the sound deadening jacket suspended sufficiently loosely to permit relative rotation between it and its resilient, plastic annular mounting means. This mounting means is supported from the main housing of the food waste disposer. The connection between the ring mounting means of the food waste disposer and the upper portion of the sound deadening jacket is by an annular lip extending radially inwardly from and forming an integral part of the jacket. This radially inwardly extending, annular lip is received between the annular mounting means and an elastomeric support gasket which resiliently mounts the food waste disposer housing to a conventional support ring utilized with the food waste disposer. The distance between a bottom portion of the elastomeric support gasket and an upper, radially inner end of the sound deadening jacket lip is maintained so that a slight space exists therebetween (0.030 inch), with the sound deadening jacket depending downwardly therefrom and spaced from the housing portion of the food waste disposer.

The sound deadening jacket includes aperture means for an inlet means which is provided for possible connection to a dishwasher (not shown) or the like and an outlet means which is to be connected to the drainage plumbing (not shown) existing underneath the sink with which the food waste disposer is utilized. To provide easy connection for the aforementioned plumbing and dishwasher connection, the inlet and outlet means for the disposer are supplied by piping or tubular elements attached to the food waste disposer housing inwardly of the disposer sound jacket. These elements extend at least partially outwardly or nearly outwardly through the apertures provided in the disposer sound jacket so that an easy connection may be made between them and the aforementioned dishwasher connection and drain.

In use, the food waste disposer is mounted to a sink (not shown) with which it is to be utilized by mounting a clamping ring assembly (only partially shown) beneath the sink, then engaging the elastomeric support gasket with the support ring of the clamping ring assembly through the use of a series of lugs mounted integral with the support gasket which engage in correspondingly opposite faced lugs on the clamping ring. Since the elastomeric support gasket mounts beneath it the remaining components of the food waste disposer, once the assembly of it to the support ring is completed, the food waste disposer is mounted under the sink for the reception of food waste through the sink drain. However, alignment between the outlet of the food waste disposer and the existing plumbing in the area beneath the sink has not been completed so that, normally, the food waste disposer must be rotated to provide alignment between these elements. Such is easily accomplished by merely grasping the disposer sound jacket and rotating the same carrying the internal operating parts and the housing for the food waste disposer therewith through the abutment of the inlet of the food waste disposer with the edges of the apertures maintained in the sound deadening jacket.

Since the sound deadening jacket is received loosely enough for rotation on the annular mounting means and between it and the elastomeric support gasket, rotation of the sound deadening jacket is easily accomplished so that attachment of the food waste disposer to the drainage plumbing is easily completed to form a fully operative food waste disposer with both the sink with which it is utilized and the household plumbing existing adjacent thereto. Alignment of the food waste disposer with the household plumbing, of course, normally aligns the same with the dishwasher drain since the dishwasher is usually aligned with the same household plumbing at or before installation of the food waste disposer. At the same time, the loose reception of the food waste disposer sound jacket on the resilient, annular mounting means provides attenuation to prevent a large amount of unwanted noise, generated within the food waste disposer, to be transmitted outwardly therefrom into the area in which the food waste disposer is situated.

Two embodiments of a sound deadening jacket usable with the invention are illustrated. Each has a slightly different upper lip configuration and each has a slightly different vertical expanse so that the sound deadening jacket of the first embodiment terminates short of the total height of the food waste disposer while the sound deadening jacket of the second embodiment extends downwardly so as to envelope the entire horizontal height of the food waste disposer. The hoppers from which the sound deadening jacket receives its support is also slightly different in each embodiment.

DRAWING DESCRIPTION For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the preferred embodiments, exemplary of the invention, shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded partial perspective view of the food waste disposer utilizing the jacketing of the first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the jointure of the food waste disposer sound jacket to the food waste disposer of the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation of the sound deadening jacket and food waste disposer of the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the jointure of the sound deadening jacket to the food waste disposer, similar to FIG. 2, but showing the second embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view in elevation of the sound disposer jacket and food waste disposer of the second embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A food waste disposer which incorporates the novel sound deadening jacket and mounting means of the first embodiment of the invention can be most clearly seen in FIGS. 1 to 3. The food waste disposer 10 is meant to be arranged in depending fashion from I a sink (not shown) in a manner such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,199, filed Sept. 15, 1970, entitled, Rapid Mounting System for a Food Waste Disposer" and owned 'by a common assignee. Reference may be had to that patent for a more specific illustration of the mounting arrangement for the instant food waste disposer 10.

As is illustrated in that patent, the food waste disposer 10 depends from a support gasket l4 of elastomeric material, such as rubber, which is generally ringshaped or annular to provide a diameter of sufficient dimension to permit reception of a top portion of a hopper 16 of disposer housing of the food waste disposer 10 within a right angular groove 18 that extends annularly within the support gasket I4."A series of three lugs 20 formed integrally with support gasket 14, mount the same to a supporting ring 12 having a-corresponding number of inwardly turned lugs 22. As is described in the foregoing patent, the supporting ring 12 is mounted rigid with the sink (not shown) with which the food waste disposer is to be utilized, and then the support gasket 14. (along with the remainder of the food waste disposer 10) is moved upwardly beneath the supporting ring 12 and turned until the lugs 20, 20, 20

thereon mate with the corresponding lugs 22, 22, 22 on the supporting ring 12 so that the supporting ring 12 holds the food waste disposer 10, through the aegis of the support gasket 14, in depending fashion therebeneath.

In order to mount the disposer housing 15 to the support gasket 14, hopper 16 includes an upper, outtumed end which forms a radially extending lip 24 and an axially extending portion 26 joined thereto, with the radially extending lip and axially extending portion mounted within the annular groove 18 so that the hopper 16 is fixed relative to the support gasket 14. Internal ribs 28 are formed within the annularly extending groove 18 to insure that the hopper 16 is firmly held in this location during operation of the food waste disposer 10. Thus a water-tight seal is formed between support gasket 14 and hopper 16 so that the food waste disposer 10 may receive food waste therein and comminute the same for easy disposal through the drainage plumbing for the food waste disposer 10.

The elements of food waste disposer 10 which are situated within the housing 15 and below the hopper 16 and their manner of attachment is not a part of the instant invention, so no further reference will be made thereto, it being sufficient to state that the aforementioned patent shows the general details of a food waste disposer which might be utilized with the present invention.

The novel aspects of the first embodiment of the invention will now be described. A peripheral groove 30 is formed below the axially extending portion 26 on hopper 16, with the same including a pair of oppositely disposed faces 32 and 34 and with these faces disposed at a distance from each other that is slightly greater than the axialthickness of either step of a split, stepped annular ring means 36. The split, annular means is thereby mounted loosely within the groove 30, a-split 38 formed in this ring providing for ease of assembly of it over the hopper l6 and within the annular groove 30. Split, annular means 36, in cross-section, as set out above, takes a stepped configuration having a radially outward and most downwardly disposed portion 40, a connecting portion 42 and an inwardly extending portion 44 which seats in the groove 30 in the loose man ner described. The radially outward portion 40 provides a support means for the sound deadening jacket 46 with the same, in the first embodiment, including an integral axially extending flange 48 joined to an integral, radially upwardly disposed portion 50 forming the top of the sound deadening jacket 46, and with this por-' tion forming a jointure with the axially extending flange portion 48 at substantially a right angle. This jointure nests within the substantially right angle jointure fonned by the outer and connecting portions 40 and 42 of split annular means 36.

It should be specifically noted that the axially extending flange portion 48 of sound deadening jacket 46 is of a height .which is sufficiently less than the distance between a top face 41 of the outer portion 40 of split ring 36 and a bottom face 13 of the support gasket 14 so that the sound deadening jacket 46 is received slightly loosely therebetween (0.030 inch). However, because of the radial extent of the outer portion 40 of split ring 36, the same is securely supported from the hopper 16 of food waste disposer 10.

As seen in FIG. 3, the sound deadening jacket 46 extends for substantially of the height of food waste disposer 10. It may be attached, at its bottom, to the food waste disposer by means of integral tabs (not shown) that extend generally axially relative to the food waste disposer 10 and bear against housing to maintain sound deadening jacket 46 spacedly displaced outwardly relative to the general extent of the housing of food waste disposer 10. Any other conventional means, well known in the art, may be utilized to support the bottom portions of sound deadening jacket 46.

Sound deadening jacket 46 includes a pair of apertures 52 and 54 which provide ingress to the interior of food waste disposer 10. A pair of conduits 56 and 58 of tubing or piping extend outwardly or nearly outwardly, respectively, from the housing 15 of food waste disposer 10 through the apertures 52 and 54, respectively, so as to be conveniently accessible for attachment to the plumbing and dishwasher outlet adjacent to where the food waste disposer 10 is situated.

The advantages of the invention disclosed in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 become more apparent when the mounting assembly of the food waste disposer 10 is described. The sink flange and clamping ring assembly including the supporting ring 12 are mounted below the sink so that the supporting ring 12 extends below the sink in depending fashion. The remainder of the food waste disposer 10 is assembled with the sound deadening jacket 46 being mounted on the food waste disposer housing 15 by the split ring 36 being mounted in the peripheral groove 30 of the hopper 16. The supporting gasket 14 is then mounted to the hopper 16 by mating of the portions 24 and 26 of the hopper 16 into the annular, right angle groove 18 formed in support gasket 14. This subassembly is that which is normally received by the serviceman installing the food waste disposer 10 to a household sink.

In order to mount the food waste disposer 10 in complete assembled condition, the sound deadening jacket 46 is lifted until the support gasket 14 moves up underneath the supporting ring 12 and then the support gasket l4 and the remainder of the food waste disposer l0 suspended therebelow are rotated until the lugs 20 on the support gasket 14 mate with the corresponding lugs 22 on the supporting ring 12. This mating engagement locks the support gasket to prevent rotation of it relative to supporting ring 12.

With the food waste disposer 10 now in an assembled condition, the apertures 52 and 54 and conduits 56 and 58 are aligned with the plumbing already available in the area adjacent the sink by grasping the sound deadening jacket 46 and turning the same. Since this jacket is loosely disposed on split ring 36, there is very little resistance to this turning movement. As the sound deadening jacket turns, the sides of the aperture 52 engage with the conduit 56 which is fixed rigid with the housing 15 of the food waste disposer 10. A continued turning of sound deadening jacket 46, then, occasions the turning of the housing 15 for food waste disposer 10 as the hopper 16 turns within the right angular, annular groove 18 formed in support gasket 14. The conduit members 56 and 58 may thereby be aligned with plumbing already existing adjacent to the area in which the food waste disposer 10 is mounted.

An advantageously easy mounting of food waste disposer 10 is thereby yielded by the provision of the loose reception of sound deadening jacket 46 between split, annular ring 36 and support gasket 14. This loose received arrangement (0.030 inch) also permits the food housing 15 of food waste disposer 10 to provide evengreater attenuation of sound generated by food waste disposer l0.

Turning now to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, like numerals are utilized to indicate like parts as in the first embodiment and primed numerals are used to indicate elements modified in character.

A sound deadening jacket 46 is provided for a food disposer 10, with this jacket extending substantially for the full height of the food waste disposer 10 and being attached, for example, by screws or the like to the bottom of housing 15 for food waste disposer 10'. Sound deadening jacket 46 includes apertures 52 and 54, similar to the same apertures in the first embodiment, so that conduits 56 and 58, respectively, may be provided for convenience in attaching the food waste disposer 10' to plumbing existing in the area where the food waste disposer is situated.

Turning now specifically to FIG. 4, it can be seen that a hopper 16', comprising a pair of rolled portions includes a formed annular groove 30', extending around the periphery of the hopper 16'. As in the first embodiment, the annular groove 30' receives therein the split, annular ring 36. An axially extending flange 48' on the sound deadening jacket 46, along with a portion of an extension 47 of sound-deadening jacket 46' is received on the split, annular ring 36. Extension 47 projects radially outwardly from the axially extending flange 48 and terminates in a downwardly extending portion 49 that is integral with a top 50' of sound deadening jacket 46', the downwardly extending portion 49 merely placing the top 50' of sound deadening jacket 46 in a lower position relative to the remainder of the food waste disposer 10' to give the same a lower profile and add to the appearance of the unit.

As in the first embodiment of the invention, the distance between the top face 41 of outer portion 40 of split, annular ring 36 and the bottom face 13 of support gasket 14 is greater (0.030 inch) than the height of the axially extending flange 48' of sound deadening jacket 46 so that the sound deadening jacket 46' is received slightly loosely therebetween so that the same may be easily rotated during mounting assembly of food waste disposer 10' to the existing sink and plumbing (not shown) provided adjacent thereto.

It should be clear from the embodiments described that a food waste disposer having an easy mounting assembly to the sink from which it is disposed is provided and yet the sound deadening jacket mounting arrangement provides a food waste disposer having low transmission of noise to the adjacent surroundings. It should be further noted that the split annular ring 36 could be modified so that the same was molded integrally with the hopper 16 of some sort of resilient, elastomeric material or, alternately, that a radially extending lip of metal could be formed on the hopper 16 and this lip utilized to mount sound deadening jacket 46. In this case, the possibility of noise transmission through the sound deadening jacket 46 would be increased, but the ease of mounting and assembly of the food waste disposer would remain since such a lip would be placed in a location so that the distance between it and the face 13 of support gasket 14 was sufficient so that the sound deadening jacket 46 was received slightly loosely therebetween.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that many other modifications can be made to the food waste disposer disclosed and that many of these modifications would fall within the spirit and scope of the description offered.

What is claimed is:

1. A food waste disposer and sound deadening jacket assembly wherein said disposer includes: a housing with one end thereof defining an opening bounded by a generally cylindrical peripheral wall; jacket support means extending radially outwardly of said housing subadjacent said opening; and, an annular resilient housing support gasket removably attached to the cylindrical wall and also extending radially outwardly therefrom, said jacket support means and said support gasket defining spatially separated opposed facing surfaces; and,

said jacket defining a generally hollow shell at least partly enclosing said housing, said shell having at least one opening therethrough of a dimension sufficient to receive said peripheral wall and smaller than the outer radial dimension of either said jacket support means or said housing support gasket, said shell having a thickness at least immediately adjacent said one opening sufficient to substantially occupy the distance between said opposed facing surfaces;

whereby, in assembly, the jacket is positioned over the housing with said peripheral wall extending upwardly through said one opening and said shell is seated on said jacket support means with said jacket being retained in such position and having limited axial movement relative to said housing by virtue of the subsequent attachment of said housing support gasket.

2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein the housing of said food waste disposer further includes short conduit means extending outwardly therefrom for connection to appropriate plumbing, and said jacket includes an aperture aligned with said conduit means permitting said conduit means to extend therethrough, the side walls of said aperture abutting said conduit means when said jacket is rotated axially with respect to said housing;

whereby, further axial rotation of said jacket rotates said peripheral wall of said housing axially within said support gasket to permit alignment of said conduit means with said plumbing without angular displacement of said support gasket.

3. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said jacket support means comprises an integral radially extending projection on said housing.

4. Structure according to claim 3 wherein said integral radially extending projection defines an annular lip around the outer wall of said housing.

5. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said jacket support means includes an indentation within the outer wall of said housing and a support member received within said indentation and extending radially outwardly therefrom for receiving said jacket in seating engagement.

6. Structure according to claim 5 wherein said indentation defines an annular groove and said support member comprises a split ring having an inner lip portion received within said groove and an outer shoulder portion for receiving the jacket in proper seating engagement. 

1. A food waste disposer and sound deadening jacket assembly wherein said disposer includes: a housing with one end thereof defining an opening bounded by a generally cylindrical peripheral wall; jacket support means extending radially outwardly of said housing subadjacent said opening; and, an annular resilient housing support gasket removably attached to the cylindrical wall and also extending radially outwardly therefrom, said jacket support means and said support gasket defining spatially separated opposed facing surfaces; and, said jacket defining a generally hollow shell at least partly enclosing said housing, said shell having at least one opening therethrough of a dimension sufficient to receive said peripheral wall and smaller than the outer radial dimension of either said jacket support means or said housing support gasket, said shell having a thickness at least immediately adjacent said one opening sufficient to substantially occupy the distance between said opposed facing surfaces; whereby, in assembly, the jacket is positioned over the housing with said peripheral wall extending upwardly through said one opening and said shell is seated on said jacket support means with said jacket being retained in such position and having limited axial movement relative to said housing by virtue of the subsequent attachment of said housing support gasket.
 2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein the housing of said food wasTe disposer further includes short conduit means extending outwardly therefrom for connection to appropriate plumbing, and said jacket includes an aperture aligned with said conduit means permitting said conduit means to extend therethrough, the side walls of said aperture abutting said conduit means when said jacket is rotated axially with respect to said housing; whereby, further axial rotation of said jacket rotates said peripheral wall of said housing axially within said support gasket to permit alignment of said conduit means with said plumbing without angular displacement of said support gasket.
 3. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said jacket support means comprises an integral radially extending projection on said housing.
 4. Structure according to claim 3 wherein said integral radially extending projection defines an annular lip around the outer wall of said housing.
 5. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said jacket support means includes an indentation within the outer wall of said housing and a support member received within said indentation and extending radially outwardly therefrom for receiving said jacket in seating engagement.
 6. Structure according to claim 5 wherein said indentation defines an annular groove and said support member comprises a split ring having an inner lip portion received within said groove and an outer shoulder portion for receiving the jacket in proper seating engagement. 